Automatic rising caution flag

Abstract

An automatic rising flag assembly includes a bracket connected to a water vessel and an elongated flagpole. The assembly further includes a mechanism connected to the water vessel and the bracket so that the flagpole can be pivoted and maintained between up and down positions. Such a mechanism includes a plurality of electrical contacts disposed at a ski handle and which send a signal to the mechanism while a skier has a grip around the electrical contacts. When a skier lets go of their grip, the signal is cancelled and causes the mechanism to release the flagpole upwardly for notifying others of the downed skier.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not Applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not Applicable.REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX[0003]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Technical Field[0005]This invention relates to flagpoles and, more particularly, to an assembly for automatically raising a marine caution flag.[0006]2. Prior Art[0007]With the ever-increasing popularity of water sports the number of water skiers has steadily increased, bringing ever larger numbers of water skiers and ski boats to a relatively fixed number of recreation areas. While water skiers are sufficiently visible while skiing to prevent all but the most careless of boating accidents, the sport presents one extremely dangerous situation, namely that of the downed water skier.[0008]It will be recognized that even the most skilled of water skiers will occasionally fall, and that the norm of skill in the sport as displayed in recreational areas is f...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018]The latch member further includes a telescopic section including a mechanism for hydraulically moving same between up and down positions. The telescopic section includes a support member having a first end portion connected thereto and a second end portion having a substantially hook shape and being operably engageable with the second end portion of the second elongated

Problems solved by technology

While water skiers are sufficiently visible while skiing to prevent all but the most careless of boating accidents, the sport presents one extremely dangerous situation, namely that of the downed water skier.

The relatively great speed of motor boats and the relatively poor visibility of a downed water skier in the water makes spotting a downed water skier a difficult task requiring concentration and a high degree of care.

In most instances, the only visible indication of the presence of a downed water skier is a bobbing head in the water, and at least in some instances the water skier may be briefly under the water making the water skier extremely difficult to spot.

A downed water skier struck by a boat is a potential fatality, due to the speed and force with which a boat is likely to strike the water skier, likely in the head, which is presented to the boat due to its location on the surface of the water.

While the presence of an observer will ensure that the ski boat returns promptly to the site of a downed water skier, such an observer in not of great utility in warning other boats in the area that the water skier is down.

The observer may attempt to wave off boats approaching the site of the downed water skier, but will in all likelihood not be heard or understood by operators of other boats due to normal noise level.

The observer may inadvertently act as a distraction to operators of other boats, and may in fact increase the chance that these operators of other boats will not see the downed water skier.

Unfortunately, the only way such a device could be readily visible was if it was attached to the water skier's head.

Needless to say, relatively few water skiers care to damage their image by wearing cumbersome paraphernalia on their heads.

This strategy has therefore proved undesirable, and has never achieved great usage.

One shortcoming in this design, however, is that the rope often loses tension in turns or when vessel traffic or obstacles force the driver to slow down.

In these situations, the flag could be raised unnecessarily.

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